New Data From Britain About DePuy ASR Acetabular Hip Replacement Devices

Is Johnson & Johnson Telling the Truth About the Failure Rate?

May, 10 2011

Johnson & Johnson claimed the failure rate was 13% when it recalled the DePuy product in 2010, according to its press release. Johnson & Johnson started using the device in the United States in 2005 and based its failure rate on five years of research. However, England has a hip registry dating back well before 2005.

This week a report by The British Orthopedic Association revealed the DePuy ASR XL hip replacement unit fails as often as 49% of the time. This is an astounding four times what Johnson & Johnson reported stated when it recalled the device last year.

Dr. David Beverland, an Irish orthopedic surgeon who does massive numbers of hip and knee replacements reported that he started implanting the ASR devices in his patients in September 2004 and stopped in May 2007. He declined to say why he stopped the implants, but reported that 32% of his ASR XL patients have been or will need a second hip replacement (revision) and 44% are symptomatic. Only about 22% of his ASR XL patients seem to have achieved a good result and three of his patients died after receiving the implant. This is a serious problem for the defense since Beverland has been a major consultant and product champion for DePuy.

Here are the real facts:

- August 2010 - Johnson & Johnson recalled the ASR XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System used in hip replacement surgery due to the number of patients who required a revision.

- April 2011 - Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $70 million in civil and criminal fines for bribing European doctors to induce them to prescribe their drugs or implant medical devices in patients unaware of their doctors' financial incentives, according to The New York Times.

- May 2011 - The British Orthopedic Association and British Hip Society released data that the DePuy ASR XL hip replacement unit fails as often as 49% of the time - four times more than reported by Johnson & Johnson in 2010.

Based on the evidence there are thousands of patients that appear to be healthy now, yet likely will have complications in the next 3-5 years as a result of the ASR XL device.

If you think you have a DePuy hip implant and would like to know more about the case, give our offices a call at 1-800-677-7095. Our people are standing by to answer your questions and explain how we can help.

DePuy Crib Sheets

Deciding what you want to do in the aftermath of this hip recall is extremely difficult. There are important medical and legal decisions to make, and you may not be feeling up to the task of figuring out the right questions to ask. We thought we'd try to make that a little easier for you.

Medical Crib Sheets

Legal Crib Sheets

Learn more about the DePuy Hip Recall Cheat Sheets or just go right ahead and download them - they're absolutely free and we hope they help during this difficult time.

DePuy Recall In The News

As new updates appear in the news on the DePuy hip recall and the ASR XL Acetabular System, we put those links up here so you can stay informed. If you'd like to be notified when we have news updates, please subscribe to our feed.

August 22, 2012
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Pay About $200,000 Per Case to Settle Three ASR Lawsuits in Nevada
www.washpost.bloomberg.com

June 27, 2012
FDA Holds Hearing on Metal Hips But Dodges Fundamental Question of Inadequacy of Testing
www.nytimes.com

March 12, 2012
Too Little Too Late? Researchers Conclude Metal on Metal Hip Replacements Should Not Be Used.
www.bbc.co.uk

»Read our complete archive of articles about the Depuy hip recall.

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Have Questions?

We've got answers. We've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions we receive from incoming clients and given you our most informed answers. We explain the lawsuit, why you don't need to spend any money to hire an attorney, and the risks to your health.

You can also browse our Stay Informed section for full articles on the case against DePuy and the medical problems with the ASR XL Acetabular total hip replacement system, or contact us directly.

View our FAQs on the DePuy hip recall.

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